ter, have you seen him since then?"

"He is an enemy, you say!" cried Mr. Lawrence. "Is that so? Yes, I saw
him. He was here early this morning, and I chased him away."

CHAPTER XXV

TWO DEER

"He was here, and you chased him away!" exclaimed Dave. "Have you any
idea where he went to?"

"I think he took the trail back of the house; the one leading to Carpen
Falls," answered Lester Lawrence. "I slipped on my most outlandish
costume, and I must have scared him out of his wits, for he ran like a
deer," he added, with a smile.

"In that case there is no use in our looking for him around here,"
announced Roger.

"I think I'll give the hunt up," said Phil. "Finding my uncle has
changed matters completely. What I want to do is to send word to my
father that my uncle is found. Then, as soon as he is able to travel,
I'll leave you fellows and take him home."

"I think I'll be able to walk on the foot in a day or two," answered
Lester Lawrence. "You see I can already hobble around. But that sprain
was a pretty bad one, I can assure you!"

After this the situation was discussed for some time--in fact, until
well after the noon hour. Then one of the boys suggested that they have
dinner, and while Phil and his uncle continued to talk over their
personal affairs, Dave and his chums set about getting ready the meal.

While all in the cabin partook of the midday meal, the boys told the
hermit about their life in camp, and also of their adventures at Oak
Hall and in other places. Lester Lawrence listened interestedly to the
recital, and asked innumerable questions concerning their doings, and
also questioned Phil regarding conditions at home.

"I'll leave the matter of that land deal entirely to your father," he
said to his nephew. "He always had a better head for business than I've
got. He'll know the right thing to do."

After the meal it was decided that Phil should remain at the cabin with
his uncle, while the other boys returned to Bear Camp. Phil wrote out a
message which he asked Dave and the others to send to Carpen Falls, from
which point it might be transmitted by telephone and telegraph to his
parents, announcing the finding of the long-lost uncle.

"Now that I have found Uncle Lester, I don't want to leave him," said
Phil to Dave and Roger, as he drew his two particular chums to one side,
out of hearing of the others. "Uncle Lester may be all right in his
mind--in fact I hope he is--but at the same ti